Twee monstransen van metaal, opgesteld op een tentoonstelling over religieuze objecten uit de middeleeuwen en renaissance in 1864 in Mechelen before 1866

Joseph Maes captured this image of two metal monstrances displayed at a religious objects exhibition in Mechelen in 1864. The 19th century witnessed a surge in historical interest, but also a moment of intense contestation of the Church's role in society. These monstrances, designed to display the Eucharistic host, carry the weight of centuries of religious tradition, power, and artistry. In a time of rising secularism, their public display would have served as a deliberate reminder of the Catholic Church’s cultural and historical centrality. They stand as a symbol of faith but also as objects of immense material value, embodying the complex relationship between spiritual devotion and earthly power. How might the faithful have felt beholding these objects? What thoughts might have crossed the minds of those who questioned the Church's influence?